Our Story

Greetings! Up until the summer of 2013, we were your picture perfect family….A husband, a wife and a very loving dog. Ryan and I had been trying to start a family for years, but struggled to get pregnant. After a successful round of IVF, we were thrilled to find out we were expecting triplets. But on June 23rd, our lives changed forever. I went into labor at just 22 weeks and 6 days, not even considered viable by many hospitals. Our daughter Abigail passed away shortly after birth. Her identical sister Peyton and brother Parker were taken to the NICU, weighing barely a pound each.

After burying Abby, we prayed for a miracle. Both Peyton and Parker faced a number of health problems, being so young and frail. Day after day, we sat at their bedsides reading stories and sharing our daily adventures. While Peyton amazed doctors with her strength, Parker faced an uphill battle. On August 16, our son Parker joined his sister in Heaven. Heartbroken over the loss of our second child, we once again prayed for a miracle. Going through the death of one child is unimaginable, going through it a second time is unbearable.

Week after week, Peyton continued to surprise doctors with how quickly she was maturing. By two months, Peyton was no longer intubated. She breathed with the help of a nasal tube. By three months, Peyton was learning how to eat. It’s a remarkable journey for a little girl who was not expected to survive the first night. On October 17th, after 116 days n the Nicu, Peyton came home to start her life away from the hospital. She has faced a number of challenges. She spent several months at home on oxygen, before becoming “tube free”. Before leaving the Nicu, Peyton had eye surgery due to ROP and her vision will be closely monitored. She had a large heart murmur due to a PDA, but in June 2014 got wonderful news that it is officially closed. She has seen more doctors in her first few years than some people see in lifetime.

Our triplets have been fighters since well before they were born. I’m a news anchor in Illinois and my pregnancy was very public. Over the past three years, our triplets have gained friends from around the world. Our bittersweet story has taught people that the little things in life aren’t so important. It has taught parents to hug their children tighter and to be appreciative for happy and healthy babies. Our triplets have showed people how to keep on fighting, even when it seems easier to just give up. Peyton, Parker and Abby have touched thousand of lives around the world and Miss P now has an extended family stretching miles, from continent to continent. Through our journey, we’ve become a voice for the child loss and infertility communities. Our story has been shared nationally on websites like Yahoo!,People.com and Redbook.

In 2016, we launched our non-profit, Triple Heart Foundation, in honor of our triplets. Through our charity, we are able to provide comfort to NICU families by gifting them new children’s books to read to their babies. For more information: www.TripleHeartFoundation.com

We are so happy you’re along for the ride, as we cherish each day with our miracle child. We look forward to sharing the ups and downs of our micro-preemie…or as the nurses call Peyton, “The Princess/Diva of the Nicu”.